What to do

[KGAINES]

I am planning on buying and using some trail cams and I have a couple of simple questions.

1. what are the chances of my camera being stolen, I am asking this because I most likely will be setting them up in 35a within a reasonable distance of the border and I am thinking that there is a very high possibility of taking pictures of illegals near water, and if there picture is taken what are the odds of the camera being taken or broken.

2. If you are scouting/ hunting etc. and you have your picyure taken by somebody elses camera do you just leave and do nothing, I have read some posts on here about people coming into the same spot and having their picture taken more than once, I would not come back if I knew somebody else was hunting that spot, but if you had your picture taken and then at a later date something happened to the camera and set-up you would be suspect #1, should you maybe leave a note at the camera with name saying you didn't know it was there and you won't be back.

The reason I state that is because when you hunt a particular area you tend to run into the same people and I would hate for them to think I did something to their stuff, if I had left my name and a small note at least they would know it wasn't me or they would know I was the stupidest vandal out there.

I haven't used one so chances are you might not even know if your picture was taken and then it all becomes irrelevant.

[galiuro mountain man]

The biggest thing that happens to trail cams is they get shot, or the camera removed from them. Most of them get destroyed where they hang. People sometimes just cant leave stuff alone.

 

I have had my picture taken a couple of times. I dont mess with others cameras, I know what an investment it is.

 

GMM

[Guest Ernesto C]

Try to put some branches,leaves,comouflage tape or something to make that camera to blend in with the tree,rock or whatever place you going to pu that camera,make it invisible if posible.Also see if you can put another camera facing each other that way if one gets stolen you may see who's taking it.

 

Is there a open season for illegals or what?? Are you working on some type of investigation or why take pictures of illegals??

Be aware now that the Customs,Border Patrol and DEA have a couple of air planes that can spot any human or living creature up to 25 miles away (in the dark) so they will be looking at us when scouting or hunting,make sure you smile .

 

If I found a camera broken or something like that I will not leave a note and if they think I breik it that's their problem,the guy upstairs knows I did not broke it. The only way that I will leave a note will be if I breik it and the note will have phone number and a little explanation only,no name or address for security reasons.

 

My advice will be go ahead put the camera on and have fun make sure you pray for it;just my two pesos.

 

God bless you Keith.

[TAM]

KGAINES, I have been using trail cameras for about a year now and love them. I think they are the next best thing to being out in the woods yourself. You should have a lot of fun and hopefully get some pictures while you are at it. Here is my best advise. First think of your trail camera like you were investing in the stock market and don't invest in anything you can't afford to loose. It's sad but true. I personally like to buy cheap $75 - $100 cameras off Ebay. I have found that most of them work about the same and I don't want to hang a $300 camera in the tree for someone else to take. Plus, I would rather have three cameras for $100 each and be able to scout three seperate areas than have one expensive $300 camera. My friend and I, who also owns several cameras, both had one stolen from a water tank this past spring and there just isn't anything I can do about it except not put one out on that tank again. If you use them for long enough, sooner or later you will get one stolen or vandalized even if you lock them to the tree. Now when you do set them out try to place them in remote areas or where they will be difficult to see. On some tanks I get plenty of pictures of people and my guess is that most of them just don't notice the camera. For the most part I think most people are honest and just a little curious to see what the funny thing is that's hanging on the tree. My friend and I actually have a little different problem with one of our water tanks. Every time we go to get the film the camera has been turned to the opposite side of the tree. After looking at the pictures it's pretty obvious that a bear is either playing with the camera or just rubbing himself on the tree and moving the camera. Those are the kind of problems I like to have! I have had my picture taken on someone else's camera one time that I know of and I just left the camera alone (what goes around comes around). I don't think leaving any kind of note is necessary if I haven't messed with the camera.

[coues addict]

K Gaines

I don`t own any trail camera`s yet either but I would like to invest in a few. I do think though that you are really overthinking this whole thing. I believe that you have just as much right to hunt in or around a particular area as the next guy. I also think that you must be a very considerate and honest person. Most people wouldn`t have given it a second thought if they saw someone`s camera`s. I would probably just move on to another area out of respect for the fact that another guy or gal beat me to the punch on that particular area. Sometimes though I see people in areas that I have never seen a person before and I just think "well, maybe they finally figured out that this is a good area too''. I have to agree with TAM and say that a note is not necessary. I would just move on and not worry about it. I also agree that if you use cameras a lot that something is probably bound to happen eventually. Sometimes if I actually see someone in an area that I want to hunt I ask them what there plan is so that I can either change my plan or let them know how I was going to hunt a particular area so that we don`t screw each others hunt up. Usually I find they weren`t going to hunt the same way, or time, or something and it all works itself out. I hope you have good luck with your trail cameras and good luck in this years draw Coues Addict

Edited January 1, 1970 by coues addict

[Red Rabbit]

I do not feel that having a trail camera indicates that a person intends to hunt that spot and that you should move on. Maybe the spot is just being scouted. Also, we each have a chance("right")to hunt a spot and it is first come-first served. If you hunt the spot and nobody shows up-great. If anothe person appears, you can work out an agreement. This situation likens to the water tank wars in unit 9 for archery elk where hunters setup multiple stands to "claim" a spot yet never hunt it. Been there, seen that. It can get real ugly, and I don't want to be a part of it.

 

Doug/RedRabbit

[az4life]

I have 2 homebrew cameras and I camo & secure them pretty well. Still uneasy about the possibility of losing one of them but it is a risk I am willing to take.

Positioning the camera is a challenge, finding a hot trail or tank, but well away from other hunters or hikers is the hardest part.

 

I might suggest if there are people around your selected spot, you put a note on the outside of the box asking people to leave the camera as it is where it is. Something like it is part of a research study and is not harmfull to the animals.... Put your contact info on the note also. Ask anyone who finds it to call you and report on the date time and condition thye found it in....

 

I would not leave my name on someone elses camera if I had a picture taken. Like Homer Simpson said to Bill Bidwill "just keep walkin" and if you have nothing to fear, then you have nothing to fear?

[KGAINES]

Thanks for all the input everyone.

Ernesto the only reason I had asked about illegals was if I were trying to sneak into the U.S. and a flash from a camera hits me it would make me wonder what the heck is going on. As hunters we know what a trail cam is and would not be concerned about being tracked, but I doubt that most of the people coming from mexico know what a trail cam is, and in the areas that I plan on putting the cameras there is a lot of traffic headed north and I thought it would make somebody very nervous if there picture is taken.

Good luck and God bless